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eight years ago has been enough to meet the total diocesan budget
and over the last five years has produced an average surplus of
£20,000. "The current system has a number of advantages but
basically it is dependent on the efficiency of the Christian
Stewardship service which has enabled parochial income to continually
increase. The...assessment is always based on the previous year's
accounts, and a further advantage is that parishes feel they have
control of Diocesan Expenditure". That last point is relevant to
Bradford where parishes are not so sure they have such control
(see the results of the parish questionnaire in Chapter 2). But nor
do Bradford parishes espouse Christian Stewardship as wholeheartedly
as do those in Blackburn, and it would seem doubtful therefore that
the Blackburn scheme could easily be translated - one example among
several reflecting the differing nature of even adjoining dioceses.
Catton notes that the Chester and Rochester schemes are similar to
Blackburn's.
5.3.4
When we come to systems based chiefly on potential income and
linked with Christian Stewardship then the Diocese of Lichfield is
prominent in the field. So successful has their scheme been that it
has been adopted in whole or in part by several other dioceses
(including Bradford). Unfortunately whilst successful, it is also
complicated and expensive (when instituted by York Diocese it took
6 months and cost £5,000). "There is no doubt that this is the most
expensive to run in terms of manpower and time, requiring one or two
full-time people. Lichfield run this successfully in with their
Stewardship Department most of whom are full-time, and is a natural
link with Stewardship." Which raises the question of whether the
increased cost is justified in terms of increased return - a prima
